CONFIDENTIAL
MINISTERIAL VISITS COMMITTEE
RECORD OF SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING
Friday 24 October 1986
1. The purpose of this meeting of the Sub-Committee was to discuss Departmental proposals for visits overseas during 1987 by the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State and other FCO Ministers and to make recommendations, via DUSS, to the PUS and the Secretary of State. A list of those attending the Meeting is at Annex A.
2. The Chairman drew the attention of the Sub-Committee to the fact that recommendations put forward by the meeting should reflect the view of Departments, which might not necessarily be in accord with views expressed by either Ministers or their Private Secretaries. The Meeting then moved onto specific proposals from Departments.
Prime Minister
3.
A list of Departmental suggestions for visits by the Prime Minister is at Annex B. The Sub-Committee recommended that all the visits should take place. Two points noted were (a) the visit to the USSR should take place in Spring 1987 and (b) the dates for the visit to the European Council in Copenhagen were now fixed for 4 and 5 December 1987.
Secretary of State
4.
Proposals by Departments are at Annex C. It was noted that the Secretary of State would meet Mr Shultz during his visit to Bermuda in early January. The Sub-Committee therefore recommended that an early visit to Washington need not take place. It was agreed that a visit to Belgium should be considered nearer the time. The Sub-Committee recommended that, if the Secretary of State was not able to attend the EC/Central America/Contadora Meeting in Guatemala in February, Lady Young should attend. It was agreed that the timing of a visit to Hungary would depend on the date chosen for the presentation of the Chancellor's Budget Speech, but that the visit should be regarded as necessary. A visit to Austria was thought to be unnecessary at the time proposed.
5.
The Secretary of State's visits to Australia and New Zealand would probably now include Thailand, but a trip to Fiji would depend on timing, and on whether or not the Secretary of State returned via Washington where a further bilateral meeting with Mr Shultz was proposed. The suggested visit to FRG in early Spring was accorded high priority by the Sub-Committee.
CONFIDENTIAL
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